Tone, playability, Aesthetics, value-How do you rank them?
 

Hi to All,
I'm curious to know what balance you assign to the following when choosing a guitar?: Tone; Playability; Aesthetics; and Value.

I've often tried out guitars that sound fantastic, but somehow the playability isn't there and I discard it. After all, there's a very tactile "relationship" with a guitar, and indeed all the senses (to a lesser degree smell I suppose). So I'm curious as to the balance among these factors that you assign when buying a guitar?

For me, for example, as I think about it I guess it might be something like:

30% Playability, 35% tone, 20% aesthetics, 15% value.

Everything mentioned besides value has equal footing. Apart from being ripped off, value is non-essential - love and being useful is all.

Tone is definitely numero uno for me... unless the neck is just a CLUB, any guitar can be set-up to play in a way I prefer. Aesthetics are largely determined by tone, IMO; I am not interested in "bling" on my acoustic guitars, not in the slightest. I would put up with it, so long as it were tasteful, but it's neither a plus or a minus to me.

Value is determined, largely, by the tone of the instrument coupled with playability. I have never purchased an acoustic instrument with the idea of "can I get my $$$ out of it?". I buy them to keep them, if they're to be primary instruments...

value doesn't factor into choosing a guitar for me unless it's a beater. playability comes first but tone comes as a VERY close second, and if the tone isn't there, i won't buy.

Patticake has the same feeling as I do. I actually put playability above tone, but not by much. If it's not comfortable to play, I won't play it.

I look for plain Janes. I won't pick up a painted guitar - solid or burst - or one highly appointed with MOP, plastic and/or highly figured and/or exotically hued woods. It's a guitar, not a mural. I do appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into masterfully rendering such details but that's the stuff of jewelry boxes, not guitars. Pick guards are also out, much less guards with birds and other artwork on them. In 40 on/off years of playing I've never scratched the top of a guitar.

Fortunately there's plenty to choose from that do meet a simple aesthetic with good sound and playability.

For me, tone is ~50%, playability is ~30%, looks is ~10%, value ~10%. My attitude is that any guitar can be made more playable with a good setup unless the neck is so ridiculous that I can't play it. I don't ever remember a guitar that I couldn't play, so for me, playability is not a big deal.

I already have a stable of very nice guitars. I am looking for something that sounds special. I am pretty flexible about looks unless the guitar is just ugly, and cost matters but I am flexible about that, too.

- Glenn

I agree with you when it comes to looks. I'm not at all into the fancy inlays and bling or even exotic woods. I think if I owned a guitar like that I'd be worried about dinging it and such. I'm looking for the equivalent of a good pair of jeans that will wear in over time and feel a part of me.

Value (resale) 35%, Tone 35%, Playability 20%, looks 10%

I'd get tired of the "greatest guitar in the world". I pretty much exclude all those that don't have a decent resale value right off the bat.

I'm surprised by how many people value tone over playability. Maybe its because everyone else is playing much nicer guitars that I'm used to, so maybe the playability part of it is much more evenly distributed so it would come down to how the guitar sounds overall...Im definitely a feel guy, if it doesnt feel right in my arms or fret well, i really dont care how good it sounds, I'll never enjoy a guitar i have to "work" at playing. That being said though, tone is still important, but play ability still wins over tone.

Id rank Value a little differently than how you said it though....to me

Value= playability+tone+aesthetics+cost

If I'm just enjoying a guitar, Value has no weight with me, when I'm looking to buy, its the most important...

But to answer your original question for me its probably something like

45% playability, 40% tone and 15% aesthetics(doesnt have to have fancy inlays or anything, i just like a guitar thats nice to look at)

tone........tone, tone, tone.......that's all there is........any guitar can be set up for maximum playability, and looks well that comes in last and unless it's a hideous guitar I'm fine with it....

What he said. My sense is if a guitar has tone, then it's likely been built well enough to be made playable. Aesthetics? Icing on the cake. Value? Find me a guitar with tone, tone and more tone, and resale value is inconsequential, because I'd be a fool to sell it.

I don't rank them. They all have to be there, or no go. So many guitars out there these days that no compromise is needed.

This seems a question the ilk of "If you needed surgery, would you rather have a great surgeon or a guy that could communicate as if they were human? "

Why wouldn't you want both in the same person?

With guitars, why wouldn't you want all the elements to be balanced so that you can as good an experience playing as possible? I don't see these as easily being mandated as being of more importance than one another. They just all need to be there, and if they're not there when it's hanging on the wall in the shop, how are you going to know which guitar you want?

I've never gotten a guitar that was missing one element in the hopes that I'd somehow make it better when I shelled out money for it.

OK, that's a lie: I've gotten one guitar online, and I wound up giving it away in a day to a kid who could use it. Without trying it beforehand, there was no way to hear and feel those things that needed to be there.

First of all a guitar has to catch my eye so in a sense aesthetics is what will lead me to checking the guitar out. I like guitar with bling (an abalone rosette is a must fop me) but I also like plain janes too. I like certain body styles such as a Jumbo or mini-jumbo GS or GA.

Once they catch my eye they need to have tone to match or I will loose interest. If the neck feels comfortable and the action can be set to my liking then I am good to go.